Kieran McKenna was being considered by Manchester United to return to Old Trafford following consecutive promotions with Ipswich Town.
Kieran McKenna has signed a new deal at Ipswich Town
In the midst of rumors linking him to Manchester United, Kieran McKenna has committed to a new four-year deal with newly promoted Ipswich Town.
After leading Ipswich to consecutive promotions and ending their 22-year Premier League exile, the 38-year-old attracted interest from several clubs. McKenna was on the shortlist of candidates to replace Erik ten Hag in the event that Sir Jim Ratcliffe chose to switch managers.
United, Chelsea, and Brighton & Hove Albion had all shown interest, with Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge representatives getting in touch with the manager’s staff. The United administration had considered McKenna as a potential Ten Hag substitute, according to a report from The Manchester Evening News last week. However, their attention was still on the FA Cup final between United and Manchester City at Wembley.
Despite interest from elsewhere, McKenna was reportedly in advanced talks to sign a new, lucrative contract with the Tractor Boys, according to a Monday Telegraph story. According to rumors, McKenna chose over the weekend to back out of Chelsea’s hiring process, putting Leicester City manager Enzo Maresca in the lead to take over at Stamford Bridge.
Ed Schwartz, the majority owner of Ipswich, is said to have flown in from the US to have discussions with club CEO Mark Ashton.
He was officially announced as having signed a new contract extension with the team on Thursday, following his recognition as the League Managers Association’s manager of the year. McKenna was previously employed by Portman Road through the summer of 2027, but he recently inked a new contract.
After Ole Gunnar Solskjaer left to become United’s first-team coach, he coached the club’s under-18 squad for two seasons. As far as the Manchester Evening News is aware, Ten Hag’s future is still up in the air. The team will probably make an announcement regarding the results of their end-of-season evaluation the following week.
“I am extremely proud to have signed a new contract with the club,” McKenna stated on the Ipswich website. Over the past two seasons, we have experienced amazing success together, so I’m thrilled about the chance and duty to guide this outstanding team into its first Premier League season in 22 years.
Since we were promoted at the beginning of May, we have been preparing and planning for the challenge that lies ahead. There is still a lot of work to be done before the new season begins, which is an exciting time for all of us at the club. I’m thrilled to have pledged my future to moving forward with Ipswich Town, and I’m looking forward to what lies ahead as we pursue this adventure together.
